Figuring It Out
by SarahthePuppyLover
Summary: Just as Ziva has settled back into her home at NCIS after her time in Somalia, her father calls and wants to talk to her. What could he possibly want, and why is he calling now? Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters, except for the doctor and Ruben Zeev.
1. Chapter 1 - Old Memories

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Hey everyone, I have another story for you! Hope you like it. It's set post-Somalia, before "Enemies Foreign." Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Old Memories**

Ziva hung up her phone and looked down. She'd just finished talking to a friend in Tel Aviv. They'd said her father wanted to speak to her right away. She knew Gibbs wouldn't like that. Heck, he'd probably leave her in the U.S. and go himself just to confront Eli face to face for all he'd done to her. No, she couldn't tell him. And what about Tony? He'd be just as concerned, if not more. She sighed, this really wasn't going to be easy.

"Everything okay, Zi?" McGee asked from across the bullpen. He'd obviously noticed her uneasiness.

"Yes, I'm fine McGee, thanks." she said and smiled at him. She knew he could see through her act - anybody could just then. He didn't question her any further, though; instead he nodded and got up to get a Nutter Butter from the break room vending machine. Left alone for the time being, Ziva let a small tear fall down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, however, and turned back to her computer to continue with the day's work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

Ziva eventually finished her work and began fidgeting in her chair. She couldn't help but question her father's recent request. _Why would he want to talk to her? Why would he call her now, out of the green . . . no wait, blue? Yes, blue. How could he, after all the pain he'd caused? _She thought about this until Gibbs finally gave the okay for the team to call it a day. Ziva immediately got up, gathered her things, and walked to the elevator without meeting anyone's eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

Ziva walked into her apartment and put her coat and bag down on the small cabinet next to the door. She sighed and dragged herself into her room to change into pajamas. Afterwards she opened her closet and pulled an old, worn down box from the corner. Sitting on the carpet and leaning on her bed, she opened the box and took out the photos inside. She smiled, and a tear slid down her cheek as she looked through them.

The first one was with her mother, Rivka. They'd gone out to the street market after she and Eli had had one of their fights. She'd taken Ziva over to a cart ran by an old family friend, who happily gave Ziva a helping of his famous malabi. They'd sat down on the curb and chatted while Ziva ate her pudding. Ziva had then pulled out her camera, a gift from her aunt for Hanukkah, and snapped a picture. They both looked happy despite the tension that was growing in their small family. Ziva put the photo aside and moved on to the next one.

This picture was of her and her sister, Tali, at her 10th birthday party. Her mother had run off with the two of them after she'd discovered that Eli was training Ziva to be a Mossad officer. The rushed escape had left them with only a bag full of money and the clothes they had on, so her mother had gone out to buy a small piece of cake and a few candles, which she'd lit with a match scraped across the wooden floor of their shack hideout. As Ziva blew out her candles, Tali took out the camera and handed it to Rivka. Ziva remembered how her mother had worn a sad smile as she took the picture of her two little girls.

Ziva wiped away the tears now flooding down her face. She flipped through the rest of the photos, which showed the various friends she'd made on the streets of her neighborhood, as well as relatives like her grandmother and aunt, and even Ari had smiled for a few of them. She was about to put the photos back into the box when she noticed that there was one stuck to the back of another. She carefully pulled them apart and looked at the old photo of her with her father, standing in their front yard while he taught her how to play baseball. He was smiling in this photo, something she hadn't seen since Tali had died.

_I miss you so much, Tali, and you too, Ima. _She thought to herself as she carefully placed the photos back in the box. She thought of everyone she'd lost, and the few people she had left. She still had an aunt in Israel, but she wasn't as close to her as she'd been to the others. She couldn't lose the only person left in her immediate family. She had to see her father.

**A/N: Just so you know, malabi (based on what I researched on the Internet) is an Isreali dessert of pudding and toppings such as nuts or berries. Please rate and review. I'll post the next chapter soon. :) **


	2. Chapter 2 - Answers

**Chapter 2: Answers**

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! I love when people like my writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Gibbs' House**

Gibbs walked down the basement stairs and turned on his overhead lamp. It'd been a long day at the office, and all he wanted to do was sleep. But something about the way Ziva had acted that day worried him. She'd been jumpy ever since she'd gotten that phone call. He wondered what it'd been about. She hadn't talked about it, but he knew it bothered her. Something was up. As he was contemplating this, he reached for the liquor bottles on his work table and was about to take a swig, when he noticed a small note sitting next to them. He picked it up and read it, his face sinking with every word.

_Gibbs,_

_I'm going away to Tel Aviv as my father has requested me to come and speak to him. I don't know what it's about but I need to find out. I know you're mad at me for not telling you sooner, but I can't let you or the rest of the team get any more involved in this than you already are. It's not worth the risk. By the time you read this I'll already be on a plane and on my way to Israel. I'll return as soon as I can, and you can head slap me as many times as you want. Until then, I'll be missing you guys._

_Sincerely, _

_Ziva_

Gibbs crumpled up the paper and held it in his fist. He didn't know what to do. Eli David was the last person he wanted to hear about, let alone that Ziva was going to see him alone. Though he'd never admit it, he was scared for her whenever the topic of her father came up. He shouldn't even be called a father, he was more devoted to his job than to anything else, even his own family. Gibbs grabbed one of the bottles of liquor and drained it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport**

Ziva walked out of the airport with uneasiness. Glancing up at the afternoon sun, she figured Gibbs would've found the note she'd left him by now. She'd already cleared with the director that she was taking a few days' vacation time, though she hadn't told him where she was going. He probably already knew, anyways, seeing as he and her father updated each other on these things. Ziva sighed. Though she liked the thought of seeing her birth country again, she dreaded the man waiting for her here. It was all just happening so fast, she didn't know what to expect. As Ziva made her way towards a taxi, a black SUV pulled up in front of her. The side door opened and Ziva recognized the person inside as one of her father's bodyguards.

"Shalom, Ziva." He said blankly. Ziva looked at him with surprise. Her father's bodyguards never left his side. Ever. This was getting really strange.

"Shalom." Ziva said, concealing her confusion as she got in the car. She settled back in her seat as the vehicle sped off for her father's office.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**NCIS Headquarters**

Tony walked into the bullpen at his usual late hour and set his stuff down at his desk. He plopped into his chair and turned on the computer monitor, glancing at the vacant desk in front of him as he took out the paperwork that needed filing.

"Hey, McKnow-It-All, have you seen Ziva this morning?"

"No, actually I was just going to ask if you've seen her. I asked Abby this morning, and she said Ziva didn't show up for their girl's night out. I'm a little worried."

Tony looked down and ran a hand through his hair. "Me too, McGee." Just then, Gibbs came in with a tray full of coffee and handed each agent a steaming cup.

"Morning Tony, McGee." He said, not even considering giving Tony a head slap for his tardiness. Tony and McGee exchanged a confused look. Gibbs getting them coffee AND passing up an opportunity to head slap? That's not normal.

"Umm – everything okay, Boss?" McGee asked with a concerned look.

"No McGee, actually everything's not okay. I just finished telling Abby about this. It's Ziva, she's . . ." Gibbs paused, trying to find the right words. How could he tell his agents that their partner was halfway around the world talking to the man who'd betrayed her more times than could be counted?

"What happened, Gibbs?" Tony asked nervously. Gibbs sighed and told them the news, watching as their faces turned from confusion to shock to worry in a matter of seconds.

"We've got to do something, Boss. This doesn't sound right. Why would Ziva's father just suddenly call her and ask to talk to her? Something's very wrong here."

"I know, McGee, but she's already there. Whatever he wants to say to her he's probably saying right now. We should just wait for her to call."

"No offense Boss, but the last time we waited for her to call, she ended up in Somalia for four months." Tony then got a big head slap from Gibbs as he headed up to Director Vance's office to talk to him about the recent events.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Tel Aviv – Eli David's Office **

Ziva followed the bodyguards through security and a few doors, down a long hallway and through some more doors, all the while with growing uneasiness as they came closer to her father's office. Finally they reached their destination. One of the men opened the door, and Ziva walked in. What she saw made her face grow pale. Her father sat at his desk, hunched over paperwork with a serious expression. Everything looked the same as it was the last time Ziva was here, except for her father's physical appearance. His hair was snow white, his cheeks were sunken in, his skin was covered with wrinkles and sunspots. This wasn't her father; rather a complete stranger who'd taken his place without any warning.

"Shalom, Director." Ziva said, taking a few steps forward into the room.

"What, you suddenly forget your usual name for me? I'm still your father, Ziva. Please, sit down." His voice was incredibly hoarse. Ziva sat down and continued to stare at him with a combination of confusion and disbelief. She heard the door shut behind her, and figured all of the bodyguards were outside. They were alone. There was a long silence between the two of them, until finally Eli decided to break the tension.

"Nice to see you're back on your feet after everything that's happened. Tell me how things are in your _new home_. I hear you want to become an _American citizen_." He said the words with venom in his voice, obviously still angry about her decision to stay in the U.S. permanently. Ziva let go of her confusion, remembering the last four months of her life and that they were because of his orders.

"Yes, it is necessary if I am to become an NCIS special agent. But why do you care? You left me in a terrorist camp to suffer and rot. NCIS is my true home, and I know that because they came and rescued me, unlike you." Ziva was now standing up, her uneasiness completely gone and replaced by red-hot rage.

"Ziva, you know that Somalia was Rivkin's mission and that it was your responsibility to carry it out. Once I got word of your disappearance, I had no way of knowing if you were dead or alive. There was nothing I could do." Ziva was now trembling with anger.

"Nothing you could do?! Do you _know_ what they did to me there?! They used torture tactics that not even _you _use! Do you have any idea what that's like?! Of course you don't. How could you? You weren't there!" Ziva slammed her fist down on Eli's desk, looking into his sunken eyes with fire in her own.

"Yes, I'm aware of Saleem's methods. Tell me, did he . . . sexually abuse you?" He asked this with concern in his voice, catching Ziva off guard.

"Um, no. Well, yes. Well, umm. He did . . . things. But not sex. He didn't do that. He said I wasn't . . ." Ziva paused before repeating what Saleem had told her. "He said I wasn't worth it. That there were other women in the camp more beautiful and . . . _pure_, and that he'd rather use them than me. I'm sure he was referring to my relation to you." Ziva sat back down. This was all too much. She was starting to wonder if it was a good idea coming here.

Eli continued to look at her with a serious expression. "Yes, he is one of my worst enemies. I wouldn't doubt his hatred towards you being my daughter. I'm glad he didn't go too far with that, though." Ziva looked up at him with newfound anger. He did hear her say that Saleem had _tortured _her, right? Just then Eli had another coughing attack, and she was reminded of her father's current health. She decided it was best to get to the point of her visit.

"I'm sure my time in the camp is not the reason you wanted to see me. What is this really about? I am guessing it has something to do with your health."

Eli sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is best that I tell you everything now. The truth is, Ziva, I'm dying."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N: So what did you think? Please be nice. I thought there were A LOT of FanFiction stories about Ziva's time in Somalia, and I wanted my version to be kind of different. Plus I like this version way better. I'm a huge Ziva fan, in case you haven't already figured that out! Anyways, I'll update if I get good feedback. Please rate and review! **


	3. Chapter 3 - Revelation

**Chapter 3: Revelation**

_Eli sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is best that I tell you everything now. The truth is, Ziva, I'm dying." _

Ziva's blood ran cold. Even though she'd guessed this by her father's sickly look, hearing it from him made it all the more real. "Abba, I … I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just listen." He stood up and began to pace the floor. "I have done many things in my lifetime that I shouldn't have. Made many mistakes and hurt many people, especially you." He sighed. "But I have a chance to make it up. Something has been brought to my attention recently, and you should know about it. So here." The director opened his desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Ziva and sat back down in his chair, waiting to see her reaction. Ziva opened the envelope and pulled out the old, yellowing paper inside. She unfolded it and saw that it was her sister's death certificate.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." She said blankly, though confusion was nearly overwhelming her.

"Just look it over. You'll see it." Ziva looked back down at the paper and scanned through it. She was about to ask him again what exactly it was she was looking for, when she noticed something off about halfway down the page.

"It says that Tali was 5'1'', and that she had hazel eyes, but I know for a fact she was 5'4'', and she had dark brown eyes, just like Ima's." Ziva looked the paper over again. "How did this happen? The coroner must have mixed this up with someone else's records."

"There's no mix up, Ziva. That's what I'm trying to tell you. The body they found that day – it's not your sister's." Ziva stared at him in absolute shock.

"How could it not be her? I saw her _inside_ the school just before the bomb hit. Who else could it be?" Ziva's mind was traveling at a thousand miles per hour. She really wanted to believe that the body wasn't her sister's, but how was that possible? She'd seen her, been there to visit her and heard the blast as it demolished the entire school.

Eli looked at her deep in thought and decided to continue. "After the bomb hit Tali's school, nearly everyone was confirmed dead. Tali was the only one missing. All of the bodies were identified and taken back to their families, except for one. A girl, whose body was so damaged by the blast that not even dental records could be used. Only one person missing, and only one body unidentified. It made sense for the coroner to assume that the body was hers. But he was wrong. The facts don't match up, as you have just seen on the paper there. "

The director then turned back to the desk drawer and pulled out a file bulging with papers. Ziva took the file and opened it to see dozens of photos from the bombing, along with countless articles and profiles of all the suicide bombers believed to have been involved in the attack. "I've been investigating the situation myself. Apparently there was a girl in a nearby town who went missing just a couple days before the bombing happened. Her body was never found. I think the girl the coroner found that day was really her, not your sister." Eli ran a hand down his face and looked at Ziva. "Tali's out there somewhere, Ziva, I'm sure of it. I need to find her, but there's no way I can look for her now, in my present condition. Go and look for her for me, for us . . . please. I want you to have your sister when I'm gone." Ziva stared at Eli, never having thought he would ask her to do something like this for him.

"Of course I will, Abba. I'll update if I find anything. Shalom." And with that she kissed him goodbye and left.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**NCIS Headquarters**

"McGee! What have you got on our murder suspect?" Gibbs yelled as he entered the squadroom with his coffee and joined McGee at the tv screen.

"Enough to bring him in, Boss. Phone records show that he made half a dozen calls to the victim in the last few days before the murder. He also seems to know the victim through their time in service. They've deported with each other twice in the last seven years. The emails I recovered from the vic's computer show that they'd had an argument recently over our suspect supposedly having an affair with the vic's wife."

"Good enough. Take DiNozzo and bring him in."

"On it, Boss!" The two agents said in unison. They grabbed their gear and headed for the elevator. Gibbs sat down at his desk and looked over at Ziva's vacant one. It'd been a whole two days since she left for Tel Aviv. She hadn't called to say she got there, and Gibbs was sure that her father would have seen her and talked to her by now. Why hadn't she called him today? His gut told him something was going on, and he was going to find out what.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Tel Aviv**

Ziva drove down the street in the car she'd borrowed from her father, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She'd spent the last ten years believing her sister was dead, and now she suddenly had a chance to see her again. Ziva pulled up next to the building that had been haunting her for more than a decade, now abandoned and replaced by a new high school down the street. She got out of the car and started walking towards the building ruins. She had to see the inside of her sister's classroom; the place where Tali had been when the bomb went off. She had to know what happened.

Reaching the entrance hall, Ziva made her way through the school based on her memory of when she'd gone there as a teenager herself. She walked into the classroom and looked around. The desks were still where they'd been after the bomb, looking more like piles of splintered wood and scattered pieces of metal than actual desks. Ziva kicked the wood pieces over, looking over the floor to see if she could find something, anything that would help her make sense of things. Turning over one last slab of wood, in the corner where her sister had been, Ziva saw a faint crack in the floor. She cleared away the area and knelt down to get a better look. The crack was really a neatly cut line that was joined by three similar cuts altogether forming a small square in the ground. A tiny ring was nailed to the edge of the square, and hinges were visible on the opposite edge. Ziva pulled on the ring to see that the square came up from the ground and revealed a ladder leading down a long, dark tunnel underneath it. It was a trap door, right where she'd seen her sister duck for cover as the bomb hit.

Ziva sat against the nearby wall under the window and held her face in her hands. So it was true. Tali really had escaped. She was alive and running around somewhere. Ziva could finally see her little sister again. But there was still more of the puzzle to solve. If Tali escaped, where was she? Why hadn't she come to Ziva, instead of leaving her to think she was dead and going off to live her life alone? And, perhaps the strangest of all, how and why did another girl's body end up here at the school? Ziva stood up and walked out of the building, determined to answer the questions now running through her head.


	4. Chapter 4 - Perspective

**A/N: Hey guys! This chapter is about the different perspectives on what's going on with Ziva's sister – hence the name of the chapter. :) Also, I'm on vacation so I'm not updating again for at least two weeks. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading Chapter 4!**

**Chapter 4: Perspective**

**Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion Airport**

Ziva walked through the airport with mixed emotions. She was still shocked from the news of her father dying. But she was happy that she might be able to see her sister again. But she also was hurt that Tali hadn't come to her after the bombing. She'd thought of her sister as dead, grieved for her and tried to get on with her life. And now she realized that it was all unnecessary, that Tali was very much alive and roaming around out there somewhere. Ziva wondered where she would've gone, and what kind of life she was currently leading . . .

**Bethesda Hospital**

"So how's that home improvement project going, Ben?" Dr. Bradley Garrett asked as he stood sipping coffee with his coworkers at the emergency room nurse's station.

"Oh, not too bad. Almost finished with taking down the old kitchen cabinets, and I already went out and bought the new oven." Ben paused as a patient was rushed through the entrance on a gurney. One of the other doctors reached the patient first and began ordering the nurses on what to do to treat his broken leg. "You know, we've been real lucky lately. There haven't been very many serious cases coming in, just broken bones and some gashes and lacerations here and there. Let's hope it keeps up."

"Yeah, the last person I remember who was really bad was that shooting victim they brought in a few days ago. You know, the one whose murder was investigated by NCIS? Had a wife and everything. It's a real shame he didn't make it." Just then his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and answered it.

"Hey, honey. How's it going? . . . Yes, I remember that Mom's birthday is this weekend. I'll make sure I'm home for it, okay? . . . Okay, love you too. Bye." He put his phone away and took another sip of coffee. "Man, sometimes I wish she knew her parents so it wasn't always mine she's worrying about."

Ben stared at him with curiosity. "Why doesn't she know who her parents are? Is she adopted or something?"

"Well actually, I take that back. I think she does know, but she just doesn't want to remember. Something must have happened when she was a kid."

Ben thought this over. "Hmmm. Maybe you should try and find out who her family is. It might help her. Look at her records. What's her maiden name, again?"

"Tali David."

"Okay, look there."

Garrett didn't like that plan. "I can't just look into her personal information, Ben. She needs to be able to trust me."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, maybe someday she'll just tell you."

Garrett nodded, he hoped so. He took another swig of coffee and said bye to Ben. Then he walked off to his office to continue with the day's work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**NCIS Headquarters**

The squad room was mostly quiet on Monday morning except for the sound of clicking keys as Tony played on his phone, thoroughly annoying McGee.

"Tony! Could you please stop that? I'm trying to do my work." Tony continued to play his game without looking up at McGee.

"No can do, McGee. I've almost got enough points here to beat my high score." McGee was about to say something else when the elevator door dinged open. Ziva walked out and went to her desk. She sat down and turned on the computer screen with a tired and troubled expression.

"Hey, Ziva. We weren't expecting you home so soon." McGee said. There was no response. "Ummm, so, what did your father want to see you about?" Ziva flinched. Tony waded up a paper and threw it at McGee's head, giving him a look that said _Nice going, Probie._ Ziva noticed this and gave a small smile.

"Talking about what happened does not bother me, Tony. He simply wanted to know how I was doing after the events of this summer. That's all." Ziva turned back to her work. Tony and McGee glanced at each other, both knowing that Ziva wasn't telling them something. Just then, Gibbs walked in, already aware of Ziva's return. He took one look at her and headed for the elevator.

"David, my office. Now." All three agents looked up at him. Ziva got up and went into the elevator. The doors closed and Gibbs flicked the emergency switch. "Talk to me, Ziva." Ziva avoided his gaze and continued to stare at the ground.

"There is nothing to talk about."

Gibbs leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "C'mon. Give it to me."

Ziva looked up in confusion. "Give you what? I do not have anything."

"I mean tell me what happened, Zi. You don't have to keep up this act around us." Gibbs gave her a concerned look. Ziva sighed.

"I know. I know. Okay, well I didn't lie before. He did ask about how I was doing after this summer." She looked up at Gibbs and saw that he was waiting for her to continue. "Then he said that he was dying." Gibbs was surprised, but didn't say anything. "And then he said that my sister is alive somewhere." She finished with the part about needing to look for Tali.

Gibbs thought for a moment, and then flicked the emergency switch again. He put his hand on Ziva's shoulder. "Okay, but let us help you." Ziva smiled and nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ten minutes later, Gibbs walked into the squad room with a fresh cup of coffee. Abby, Ducky, and Palmer followed him. Tony and McGee looked up in confusion as they saw the team members who usually worked downstairs. The three of them looked back, just as confused. Tony turned to Gibbs and decided to ask the question.

"We got a case, Boss?"

"Not exactly, DiNozzo."

Just then McGee noticed the other agent's absence. "Where'd Ziva go?"

"Home." Gibbs answered bluntly. He stood behind his desk and looked at his team. Just then Director Vance walked out of his office and stopped when he saw everyone standing in the squad room. Gibbs figured Eli had just called and told him the news. Vance nodded knowingly and went back into his office. Gibbs turned back to the others, who were now even more concerned by the interaction between him and Vance. "Director David asked Ziva to come to Tel Aviv because he's dying." They all gave surprised looks. "And to tell her that she needs to go see her sister." Abby looked a little hurt at this.

"Ziva has a sister? Why didn't she tell us this?"

Now Tony spoke up. "Because she thought her sister was dead. Killed in a Hamas suicide bombing at her high school when she was sixteen." Everyone stared at Tony. Gibbs raised his eyebrow. "She told me right after we met her, when I followed her to that hotel. She was trying to say that she understood what it was like to lose Kate."

Ducky nodded in understanding. "Yes, I'm sure the poor dear has gone through more losses than we have had to endure." The rest of the team nodded as well. Then Abby spoke up.

"Hey! Well, now Ziva has a chance to get her sister back! So what are we waiting for? Let's get to work people!" She smiled and clasped her hands together, looking intently at the others. The rest of the team smiled in agreement. It was time to get to work.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! Sorry it's kinda short. Please rate and review!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Teamwork

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! Thanks to all those who have reviewed and followed this story. I really appreciate it! All the positivity just makes my day. :) I don't know how long this story is going to be, so this chapter might be the beginning of the end. Anyways, I hope you like it! And just so you know, I'm not familiar with Jewish tradition or Hebrew names or anything, so if I get any of that wrong, I'm so sorry. I tried my best. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

**Chapter 5 : Teamwork**

**NCIS Headquarters**

The team had been working for hours on this case, hoping to find something that would lead them to Ziva's sister. Gibbs filed through the records of known terrorists in Israel. As there were no bodies to examine, Ducky stood behind Gibbs, helping him profile the terrorists to see which of them could possibly be linked to the bombing. He knew that the high school could still have been a random target set by suicide bombers, but the fact that Tali had disappeared afterwards and another body was left in her place made him question this possibility. The bombers must have been after Eli David and his family, and, of course, the fact that he was the Director of Mossad no doubt had something to do with it.

Vance contributed to Ducky's suspicion, having been told by Eli the names of several people who had it out for the Mossad Director. Meanwhile, McGee searched security camera footage from around the time of the bombing at Tali's high school, with Palmer giving him an extra pair of eyes as he tried to spot any suspicious activity on the video tapes.

Apart from all of the hard work going on upstairs, Abby sat at her lab desk with her music off and Bert the Hippo sitting on her lap. She looked at her computer screen with all its high-tech decoding software and what-not, trying to think of how she could help the team. There wasn't any evidence to sift through, as the crime scene was a decade old and half-way around the world in Tel-Aviv, so she couldn't use her machines. Ducky and Palmer had made themselves useful by pairing up with the other team members. Abby had thought about doing this, but decided there wasn't really anything she could do up there. So instead she sat in her chair and thought about the bond that the team had formed with Ziva.

Abby knew that Ziva's family had been ripped apart a long time ago by Mossad, and that NCIS had given her a family again. She knew that Ziva loved them all, and they loved her just as much. Heck, Ziva had become her best friend. But Abby also knew that Ziva missed her little sister, and had thought her dead for years. And now Ziva had a chance to be with her again. Abby wasn't about to let the opportunity pass, but she had no idea how to help.

Just then, as if she had been reading Abby's mind, Ziva appeared in the doorway to her lab. She had her hair down and in front of her face, tear stains visible on her cheeks. Abby quickly got up and ran to Ziva, giving her a huge hug.

"What can I do to help?" She asked into Ziva's shoulder.

Ziva hugged Abby back and smiled a little. "You're already helping me."

Abby smiled too, but quickly went back to being uneasy. "It's not enough, though. I want to help you find your sister. Everyone else has pretty much covered everything already, but I want to at least do _something_."

Ziva looked deep in thought. "I've been thinking about that. Your specialty is DNA and crime scene evidence, yes?" Abby nodded. "Well, I went to the crime scene when I was in Tel-Aviv, and I'm sure there has to still be something there that can help solve this case."

Abby looked at her with uncertainty. "Maybe, but how are we going to get the whole team over there to investigate without Vance going completely insane? Not to mention all of our gear, and what about the publicity it'd cause?"

Ziva smiled. "We don't have to investigate there. I went back to the school just before I left and took pictures." She pulled a giant stack of photos out of her purse and handed them to Abby. Together, they covered every inch of the classroom she'd been in, including the trap door and the beginning of the tunnel. Abby looked up and smiled.

"This is great, Ziva! Let's put these in order so I can get a better image of what the room looks like."

They spread the photos across Abby's evidence table. After positioning everything so that the walls, ceiling and floor were in their correct positions, they managed to make a pretty accurate picture model of the crime scene. Abby looked over the images in silence. After a while, her face lit up and she pointed to a spot near the trap door. "Right there! There's a bottle cap and glass on the floor. Maybe from a beer bottle?"

Ziva looked at the bottle cap and noticed some small markings on it. She looked closer and instantly recognized what they were. "Why didn't I notice that before? It's from a beer bottle, all right. See the letters on the cap? R.Z. It's in red. I've seen that many times before. They're initials, for Ruben Zeev. The last name means wolf, which fits the guy pretty well." Abby looked at Ziva curiously as she continued to stare at the bottle cap. "He used to hang out with my sister. Whenever he drank he would write his initials on the bottle cap. I don't know why, guess it was a habit. Anyways, he turned out to be a vicious, abusive jerk of a man. They stopped talking to each other just before the bombing happened and. . . oh my gosh." Ziva's eyes widened as she realized what might have happened to her sister. She turned to Abby. "He and Tali had this big fight one day, and afterwards she'd never so much as mention him. And when she'd hear his name, she'd always turn away and become really quiet, like she was afraid of something. He must have been stalking her. That would explain why she ran off and hid when the bombing happened."

Abby's eyes widened as well. "C'mon. Let's go tell Gibbs. If we can find this guy, then we'll probably be able to find your sister, too!" Ziva nodded and they both ran for the elevator. On their way up she thought about their newest finding. If her theory was correct, then Tali had been on the run from Zeev for over ten years now. That was a long time to avoid a person. But Ziva knew that people could hide out for much longer. She just hoped that they could find Zeev before it was too late.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

**AN APARTMENT SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.**

With boots on the large wooden desk and beer bottle in hand, the man continued to stare at the computer screen that now haunted his dreams and took up most of his day. He took out a red pen from one of the desk drawers and wrote his initials on the bottle cap before flicking it to the floor with all the others from previous days. He'd been sitting in this room for weeks; waiting, watching, determined to find who he was looking for.

He'd decided a long time ago that he just wanted her. She was all he'd ever wanted. He would've had her already, if not for his family's agreement for him to be married to another family's rich and beautiful daughter. He'd gotten out of that ordeal, though, argued with his parents until they broke off the arrangement. He'd then left his home to find his true love.

But she didn't act like she loved him. Why not? They'd been best friends. They'd shared stories with each other and understood each other. He didn't get it, didn't know why she didn't see him the way he saw her. If only he could find her and convince her that they were meant to be together.

He'd hacked into Bethesda's security camera a few days before, after discovering that his soul mate had been _married _to one of the doctors there. It made him sick. He was the one who deserved her, not this doctor guy. But he couldn't let it bother him. Not when he was so close . . . And then, he saw her. He watched through the computer screen as she walked up to the doctor and kissed him. Then they held hands and walked out of the entrance together. Zeev sat up in his chair and smiled.

"I've found you, Tali. I've finally found you."

**A/N: So that's Chapter 5! Hope you enjoyed it! Writing about Zeev being a stalker kinda creeped me out. But I still loved writing this chapter. It was fun! Anyways please review, it means the world to me. You guys are awesome!**


	6. Chapter 6 - A Life on the Run

**A/N: Hey guys! The beginning of this chapter is purely on Tali's experiences with creepy Zeev and how she copes with the situation. After that the plot comes back in where Zeev has found Tali and Ziva's figuring out what happened to her sister. And again, thanks for the reviews, guys! They keep me writing! I still don't know how long this story is going to be, but I'm going to say that it's probably over halfway to the end. Anyways, thanks for staying with me on this and please continue to review! I hope you enjoy Chapter 6. :) **

**Chapter 6: A Life on the Run**

**Near Bethesda Hospital**

Tali walked along the busy streets of Bethesda, browsing in stores and admiring the beautifully landscaped city. Her husband's hospital shift was over soon, so after she and Bradley had eaten dinner, she'd decided to walk over to the shops and occupy herself until he got off work. Not one to waste time, however, she also popped into one of the jewelry stores to buy her mother-in-law a birthday present. It always made her happy to buy things for other people. She loved Bradley's mother, and had a feeling that Bradley's mom didn't mind her either. It felt good to have a family again.

She often thought of the days when she and her sister would play out by the shops in Tel Aviv. Bethesda's store-lined streets reminded her of how they would browse around the local kiosks and buy things every so often, amazed by the intricately woven blankets and beautifully painted pottery they saw. She missed those days. She really did. But she knew she couldn't go back. Not while she was on the run from _him_. The creep wouldn't stop chasing her. She'd used the spying skills that Ziva had taught her to track his progress as he tried to find her. He always seemed to be right on her tail, whether it be in a nearby city or at the other end of a phone call, a few cars behind her or even outside of her apartment. She'd lost him a few times, had traveled through Europe and South America to escape him. But then after a few months he would be right back to tracking her every move. She'd eventually ended up in the United States, choosing to stop running for the time being; instead staying there and hiding out for as long as possible.

It'd been a scary ten years, and now . . . now she had no idea where Zeev was. Somewhere in the city, maybe? Hiding from her tracking skills so that she wouldn't see him coming? It was an extremely unsettling feeling. But she had a safety net. Apart from having her own crazy self-defense moves, she'd made friends with people in the martial arts class she took, all of them willing to do anything to protect those in danger. If Zeev ever got too close to her, she could call one of them to help her. At least she had that to rely on. It made her feel better about being married and having another life to worry about.

She'd dated many jerks and just plain arrogant men (she was unlucky like that) before meeting Dr. Bradley Garrett of Bethesda Hospital. He was everything she could ever dream of. She loved him so much that at first she wanted to break it off in fear that Zeev would harm him. She admitted this issue to him one night, saying that she cared about him too much to put him in danger, and that they should stop seeing each other. But he'd reassured her that he loved her too much to say goodbye, and that her life being threatened only made him want to protect her. So they made a promise to stay with each other forever, and sealed it by tying the knot a year later.

After their marriage things began to get better. They sold their apartments and bought a house near the hospital, and while Bradley was at his job, Tali spent the day as a music teacher, giving lessons in opera singing and piano playing. She was also able to become an American citizen through their marriage. Her life was good. Well, as good as it could get with Zeev still in the shadows. And yet, after everything, after she'd made another life far away from her old one, she still thought of her big sister walking her down the little streets of her hometown, was still reminded of their adventures outdoors as she walked past the shops or through the city parks. She missed Ziva. Regretted leaving her behind and wished that there could've been another way. But it would have put her in danger as well, and Tali just couldn't have that. All she could do was wonder about where her sister was now . . .

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**NCIS Headquarters**

"We've got a hit on Zeev, Boss!" McGee walked over to the plasma screen tv and used the remote to pull up Zeev's records. "He's a descendant of a wealthy Israeli family. After breaking off an arranged marriage ten years ago, he disappeared into thin air. No one has reported seeing or hearing from him since."

"Good work, McGee. Put out a BOLO on him just in case anyone notices someone matching his description."

DiNozzo spoke up. "Couldn't Zeev somehow see the BOLO and know that we're looking for him?"

Gibbs gave him a nod. "Yeah, but for all we know he could have already found Tali and is after her right now." Ziva gave a shudder at this comment. "We need to find him now, it's too late to play it safe."

DiNozzo nodded, and McGee gave Gibbs the mandatory "On it, Boss" before walking back to his computer to put out the BOLO.

Ziva looked at the picture on the screen and then down at the floor. Gibbs noticed this and went over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "We'll find her, Ziver. We will." Ziva looked up at him and smiled. She had complete confidence that they would find her sister. That wasn't the problem, he'd said it himself. The case was now a race against time to find Tali before Zeev did something horrible.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**Zeev's Apartment**

Ruben Zeev got up from his desk and grabbed his coat, throwing his empty beer bottle to the floor with a deafening crash. He took one last look at the computer screen with Tali's picture frozen on it before shutting everything down and walking out the front door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Half an hour later he was in the parking lot in front of Bethesda Hospital. He didn't think Tali would still be there, even though he'd just seen her their with the doctor guy. But he knew that the usual work shift was over around ten or, so he decided to wait for the doctor to walk out and then follow him home. He hated the man and wanted to kill him for marrying Tali, but thought that if he did then Tali would make a run for it, and he'd never see her again. So he sat in his car and waited for Bradley to walk out of the building. After about twenty minutes, however, his plans changed.

There, walking through the parking lot in the direction of the hospital entrance, was Tali David. He couldn't believe his eyes. He'd been chasing her for ten long years and now he was finally looking at her from only a few car lengths away. In those few seconds of spotting her and erasing his earlier plan of action, he came up with a new one to kidnap her and take off with her. He quickly disguised himself with sunglasses and a baseball cap, and then got the chloroform he always kept in the glove compartment out. Grabbing a rag from the back seat, he got out of the car and began walking towards the hospital.

Not being able to see his face, Tali had no idea that Zeev was just a few feet away from her . . .

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

**Bethesda Hospital**

Bradley shoved his paperwork into the filing cabinet and put everything else into his briefcase. He was relieved that the day was over and he could now spend the night with his beautiful wife. He'd been thinking about what Ben had said; about finding out where Tali was from and what her family had been like. He knew that she was on the run from some guy that she'd known long ago, but they had protection for that. He shouldn't worry too much about it, should he? Oh, who was he kidding? He was terrified for her. Had been since the day he found out. But that just showed how much he cared for her, right? He loved her more than anything and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. The thought of this stalker still out there somewhere freaked him out. He wondered whether the guy would ever show his face again.

Just as Bradley was walking out of his office and passed the nurse's cubicle, he heard a scream come from the parking lot. He ran outside to see Tali trying to fight off some guy. The man had a rag over her face, though, and she quickly went limp in his arms. He began dragging her towards a nearby car. Instantly Bradley thought of the stalker and headed for the car at a full on sprint. Before he could reach them, however, they were both in the car and it was screeching off out of the parking lot. Bradley pulled out his phone and dialed 911, hoping that they'd be able to chase the car down.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Please tell! I shall update soon, maybe even sooner than planned if I get lots of nice reviews! :) **


	7. Chapter 7 - Face to Face

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! They always make me so happy! I love getting ideas for the story so thanks to everyone for those! :) Sorry about the wait. I've had writer's block. This is probably going to be the second to last chapter of this story. Happy reading!**

**Chapter 7: Face to Face**

**NCIS HQ **

The bullpen was quiet except for the occasional shifting around of the agents at their desks. Everyone was waiting for a phone call saying that Zeev has been spotted, but so far none had come. It had been a whole day since the BOLO was sent out, and still nothing had come up.

Abby had decided to stay upstairs for the day, and sat next to Ziva in case she needed a hug. After a while Ducky and Palmer had come up as well. Now the whole team sat watching the computers and tv screens, which remained absent of any hint of a lead.

Then Gibbs' phone rang.

Everyone automatically turned their heads to the noise, refusing to reach for it and instead simply staring at the phone in silence. Gibbs finally picked it up to end the suspense and answered, "Gibbs." He listened to the voice on the other line for a while before saying thank you and putting the phone back down. The rest of the team watched as he ran a hand through his hair and searched for the right words to say. This couldn't be good.

"Police got a 911 call last night about an abduction at Bethesda Hospital. Said the kidnapper's description matched that of the BOLO we put out on Zeev." No one said anything. He turned his head to Ziva, who had a fearful look in her eyes, and said the very thing they'd hoped wouldn't be true. "Victim's name is a Tali David Garrett."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Zeev's New Hideout**

Tali woke up with a splitting headache. She tried to sit up, but got dizzy and decided to lie back down. Once the dizziness subsided, she pulled herself into a sitting position and looked around the room. She was lying on a dusty old couch in the middle of what seemed to be a log cabin. Where in D.C was there log cabins? She turned her head to see the fireplace standing in front of the couch, then looked to the opposite facing wall to see a long hallway leading off to the rest of the house. There was a table with a laptop on it and some chairs in the corner. The front door shared a wall with a large window, which was blocked by a giant closed curtain.

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her thoughts. Her confusion was overwhelming her. _Where is this place? How did I get here? Let's see, I was walking through the hospital parking lot to see Bradley, and suddenly someone came up and grabbed me . . .oh, that creep! _ Of course it was Zeev, it had to be. He'd finally decided to make a move after all that time lurking in the shadows. How could she not see him coming? So much for calling her martial arts friends for protection. She wondered if anyone was out looking for her now. Surely Bradley would have noticed her absence. Maybe someone had seen her get kidnapped. Had there been anybody in the parking lot? What about the cars passing on the street? She sighed. There was no way of knowing for sure. She'd just have to trust that help was on its way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Bethesda Hospital**

Gibbs pulled into the hospital parking lot where the abduction had taken place. He parked the car and looked over at Ziva, who had her head down and looked like she was trying to hold back tears.

"You ready for this?" Ziva nodded. They both got out of the car and began walking towards the hospital entrance. As they got closer, Ziva started to feel less and less sure that she was ready for this. She hadn't taken the news of Tali's abduction well.

FLASHBACK

Ziva's face fell as she listened to what Gibbs had just learned. She'd heard him say that Tali's last name was Garrett, but she figured it was an alias she used. It had to be Tali. Who else would Zeev kidnap? She put her head in her hands as Abby embraced her in a much needed hug. Gibbs had already gotten up and was barking orders to everyone, as there would be evidence coming in from the crime scene and a getaway car to help track down. The team, happy to do what they could in this situation, headed off to their work stations. Abby stayed behind for a bit, still hugging Ziva, until finally she stood up and gave her friend one last concerned look before walking down to her lab. Gibbs passed by Ziva and told her that they were going to talk to the witness. She nodded and took a deep breath, then grabbed her gear and followed Gibbs to the elevator.

END OF FLASHBACK

Gibbs reached the nurse's station first and asked for Dr. Bradley Garrett. Ziva looked up at Gibbs with surprise. The witness and the victim, her sister, had the same last name? Gibbs gave her a look that said we don't know anything for sure yet. After calling to make sure the doctor was available, the nurse pointed Gibbs and Ziva in the direction of his office.

Bradley was sitting at his desk with a cup of coffee when the two agents walked into his room. Before he could ponder the reason for them being there, Gibbs whipped out his badge and introduced them.

"Dr. Bradley Garrett? Special Agent Gibbs and David. We'd like to ask you a few questions about the abduction that took place yesterday afternoon." Bradley straightened up in his seat as he heard this.

"Of course. What would you like to know?"

Gibbs took the first question. "How did you know the victim?"

"She's my wife." Ziva's eyes widened. Her sister had a husband? Did that mean she had kids, too? What else had happened to her while she was on the run from Zeev? All the questions were making her head spin. She decided to leave talking to the doctor to Gibbs.

"Are you aware that your wife has been running from a stalker for over ten years now?"

Bradley looked down and sighed. "Yes, I knew. But she never told me his name, just that he was an obsessed ex-boyfriend. I don't even know where she's from or who her family is. She just won't tell me." He looked tired and distressed. Ziva knew how he felt.

"Do you have a picture of your wife, Dr. Garrett?"

"Of course." Bradley opened his wallet and took out a photo of him with Tali in front of their current house. Ziva took the picture and looked at the woman smiling back at her. She had the same dark brown hair and hazel eyes that Ziva knew so well. A tear ran down Ziva's face, and she turned to leave the room.

"Wait!" Ziva turned to see Bradley walking towards her with a curious look on his face. He stared at her for a second. "You look a little like . . . are you . . . did you know my wife?"

Ziva nodded. "She's my sister."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Zeev's New Hideout (The Log Cabin)**

The front door of the cabin opened and snapped Tali out of her thoughts. A man wearing camouflage stepped in with some bags of food in his arms. It was Zeev. He set the bags down on the table and turned to face the fireplace. He caught sight of Tali and a big smile appeared on his face.

"You're awake!" Zeev walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. He smiled at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Where are we, Zeev?"

Zeev's smile disappeared. He looked down at his folded hands. "Oh, this place? It's nothin'. Just an abandoned house that I found while heading out of town. I couldn't bring you back to my apartment, you see. The feds are bound to find it eventually. And plus, this is so much more romantic, don't you think?" The smile was back on his face now. Tali only looked at him with disgust.

Zeev ignored her reaction and got up to get the food. He came back and placed a cheeseburger and fries in her lap. "I had one of my guys drive through McDonald's while he was in the city. It's all we can afford with the money we've been living off of." He took out his own burger and started to eat it. Tali looked down at her food and decided to trust that he hadn't poisoned it. She was getting really hungry.

They finished eating a little while later, and Zeev threw their trash back into the bag the food came in, leaving it on the floor next to the couch. Then he turned back to Tali and stared at her with an admiring look on his face. "Do you know how pretty you are? I do." He gave a stupid grin before leaning forward for a kiss. Tali immediately put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. He looked dumbfounded for a moment before turning a shade of bright red. "What?! You don't want to kiss me after all I've done to get to you?" Now he was getting really mad, which Tali remembered all too well. "I've risked everything for you! I've spent ten years following you, trying to get you to see that I still love you. What more do you want from me?!" He picked up one of the wooden chairs and threw it against the wall. It broke apart instantly and fell to the floor with a deafening_ thunk_. Zeev now began to stalk towards Tali, who got up from the couch and jumped over it so that the piece of furniture was between them.

"Calm down, Zeev. You didn't even give me a chance to explain." This stopped him and made him think. His face lightened up a little, and he started walking towards the front door.

"I'll be right back. Then you can tell me whatever you want. Oh, and don't try anything stupid. My guys are right outside with machine guns." With that he opened the door, walked out and slammed it shut again. Tali walked around the couch and sat back down on it with a sigh. She knew she could handle Zeev's fits. Heck, she'd done for months when they were dating. She only wondered how long she'd have to deal with it this time.

**A/N: So what'd you think? I'll post the (next and final) chapter soon. Thanks for reading and please leave reviews! They mean a lot!**


	8. Chapter 8 - It Ends Here

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, guys! So, I know I said this would be the final chapter. But I've been thinking, and there are still a few things I have to put in, like Ziva's father and who's responsible for the bombing of Tali's high school and the body after the bombing that everyone thought was Tali's but wasn't . . . all that stuff. So I guess I'm just going to have to write one more chapters for you guys! Yaayyyy! One thing's for sure, though. The search for Zeev ends here, and that is what I named the chapter. So I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 8: It Ends Here**

**NCIS HQ **

Gibbs and Ziva walked into the bullpen to meet an excited looking McGee. Before Gibbs could ask what he'd found, McGee brought up some files on the TV screen and began explaining.

"I found a connection between Zeev's getaway car and his latest apartment. They were both rented to him by one guy, a Mr. Jerry Lance. I called the companies he worked for and they both said he hasn't been in since yesterday afternoon. That's right before the abduction happened, Boss! And also, Lance started working at the companies about a week before Zeev came to D.C. and rented out the apartment. Looks like they were working together. I have the addresses for both Zeev's apartment and Lance's place right here." He held up a piece of paper. Gibbs nodded.

"That's good work, McGee. Take DiNozzo and go search the houses." He threw his car keys to DiNozzo, who caught them with little effort.

"On it, Boss!" both of them called as they headed towards the elevator.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Zeev's Log Cabin**

It was a few hours before Zeev returned. He entered the room with a big smile and a bouquet of flowers, as if they would make up for the fit of rage he'd had before he left.

"Here you are, beautiful. A dozen red roses I picked up just for you."

Tali took them and thanked Zeev, though she really didn't feel thankful.

"Oh, and I also bought this lovely dress for you to wear at dinner tonight. You probably want to get out of those dreadful clothes you've been wearing for the past day now." One of his men walked in and handed Zeev a bag. The man left and Zeev opened the bag to reveal a long, sparkly blue dress, strapless and slimming and . . . beautiful. Tali loved it. But it only made her more fearful of what Zeev had planned for the evening. She took the dress and was shown where the bathroom was. Once alone, she sat on the floor and put her head in her hands.

_Please let someone find me soon, _she thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Zeev's Old Apartment**

Tony and McGee followed the maid up the stairs towards Zeev's apartment, wondering what they'd find in there. They reached the door to his place, and the maid unlocked it. She left, and DiNozzo opened the door. What they saw inside was disturbing. Every inch of each wall was covered with pictures of Tali. Some old and with Zeev in it. Some from even earlier when she was a little kid. Then there were the ones with her in different countries. The Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, there was even one with the ruins of Machu Picchu in the background. Below them, the floor was covered with magazines, newspapers and Zeev's signature bottle caps with his initials on them. Tony and McGee looked at each other with looks of disgust. This guy was sick.

They searched the rest of the place to see what they could find, but came up empty. All that was left to look at was the computer that sat on the desk underneath the apartment's single window. McGee, being the computer expert, turned it on and went through all of the files. He didn't like what he found. Almost every folder held more pictures of Tali, the more recent ones in the U.S., ending with those of her in D.C. Looking further through the computer, McGee found documents of plane tickets and flight times, as well as car and apartment rental information. It looked like Zeev had followed Tali to every city she'd gone to.

McGee took out his USB drive and stuck it into the computer, then downloaded all the data he could onto it. When he finished he put the USB drive back into his pocket and turned off the computer. The two agents left Zeev's apartment and headed for Lance's place with a rapidly growing dislike for the guy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**NCIS HQ – Abby's Lab**

Gibbs and Abby stood in front of her computer. They'd spent the last hour and a half looking at satellite coverage of the woods where Zeev had escaped, trying to find a place where he'd be able to hide out. Ziva was in the hallway outside the lab talking to her father about everything they'd found. She'd been calling him every so often to update him on the case, but this conversation seemed to be the tensest one yet. Of course, it was the first time Eli was hearing that his youngest daughter had been kidnapped. Gibbs and Abby tried not to listen as Ziva yelled into her phone in Arabic. The conversation ended after a while, and Ziva came back in to meet the others' concerned looks.

"It was nothing. He's just worried and a bit frustrated. That's all. I'm fine." Ziva stood next to them with a tired look on her face and stared ahead at the map of the woods on the screen.

Just then Tony and McGee walked in. The two filled them in on Zeev's apartment, and then McGee held out the USB drive and handed it to Abby, who transferred the data and brought it up onto her computer screen. "He had documents of plane tickets, as well as car and apartment rental information." Tony spoke up. "We also found this in Lance's apartment." He held out a piece of paper with numbers on it. There was something written in Hebrew underneath. Ziva read the paper and translated it.

"'Zeev. Use this place as a safe house if our plan changes or fails. Stay there until I can arrange for you to get out of the country. Lance.' The numbers must be coordinates to the safe house he's talking about." She handed the paper to Abby, who searched the location. There in the middle of the screen, was the top of a log cabin. Gibbs immediately went into action.

"McGee! Get the director and tell him to send back up to that place. DiNozzo, David. You're with me. Let's go get this guy." Gibbs strode out of the room, and Tony and Ziva quickly followed. McGee went straight up to the Director's office. Abby turned back to the log cabin on the computer screen. She really hoped they'd find Tali in there.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Zeev's Log Cabin**

Tali stepped out of the bathroom in the long blue dress that reached down to her ankles. She'd chosen not to put her shoes back on, as they were high heels and not ideal shoes for escaping in. As she walked out into the cabin's living room, Zeev turned and beamed at her.

"Wow. You look amazing!" He got closer to her and tried to kiss her on the cheek. Tali almost backed away, but remembering the tantrum he'd had only a few hours before, she decided to let it go this time. He smiled at her and turned back to the table in the corner. There were plates and silverware wrapped in napkins, and a candle burning in the middle. Through the window, Tali could see that it was getting dark outside. Whatever Zeev had planned was going to happen anytime now.

She walked over to the table and sat down, letting Zeev push her chair in and sit down across from her. It was then that she noticed that he'd also changed. The room had been so dark before that she could only now see through the dim light of the candle the jet black tuxedo underneath his hunting jacket. Zeev noticed Tali staring at his new attire.

"I thought it was appropriate for our date. Always nice to look formal, yes?"

Tali didn't say anything. So this was for sure a "date." At least, it was for Zeev. Okay. So now what? Zeev answered that question for her.

"You know I've loved you from the bottom of my heart forever now." It was more of a statement than a question. "I've followed you through thick and thin. In sickness and in health. I love you more than anyone else in the world." Tali did not like where this was going. And then, he did it.

Zeev stood and walked to Tali's side of the table. He got down on one knee and took a small velvet box out of his pocket. Tali's eyes widened. _This is not happening. This is not happening._

Zeev continued his speech with the box in his hands. "I want to be there for you now, Tali. And in the future. And for eternity." He opened the box to reveal a shiny diamond ring. "So, Tali David. Will you marry me?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Outside the Cabin**

Gibbs, Tony and Ziva sat in the car on the edge of the woods, planning out their course of action. Gibbs had said on the way that they needed to wait for back-up if they were going to take out all of Zeev's men. Everything else had already been set in place.

McGee had gone to the director's office and informed him of the plan. Then they'd headed over to MTAC to monitor the operation from satellite view on the big screen. Gibbs, Tony and Ziva had earbuds so they could communicate with Vance and McGee at any time.

Gibbs looked in the rearview mirror and saw headlights shining in the distance. That was his cue to get out of the car. All three agents went to the trunk and geared up. As they were putting on their bullet-proof vests, another car pulled up and stopped. Immediately everyone's guns were pointed at the stranger. The driver's door opened, and out stepped Bradley with his hands raised.

"Woah! Don't shoot, please! I really don't want to die right now."

Gibbs yelled for everyone to lower their weapons and walked over to Bradley.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Garrett?"

Bradley looked at him blankly for a second, then composed himself and stood up straight. "I'm here to see my wife, Gibbs. No obsessive nutcase is going to harm my girl without me having a say in it. I need to be here." He continued to look at Gibbs with a determined expression.

The whole time Gibbs was giving the doctor his signature look, but suddenly he changed it to a half-smile and simply said, "Okay, but you wait here by the cars." Bradley looked stunned that Gibbs had let him stay so easily, but smiled back at him gratefully and sat on the hood of his car.

The group then made sure that their plan was clear to everyone there. Gibbs was to sit with his rifle on the small hill in front of the cabin, out of sight but close enough to get a good shot at a moment's notice. Tony and Ziva were to grab the two guards in front of the cabin from behind, while back-up took care of the rest of Zeev's men. When all that was taken care of, they would focus on what was happening inside the cabin.

With the plan in place and everyone ready to go, the group headed off into the woods.

Once they reached the clearing to the cabin, everyone got into position and waited for the perfect time to strike.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Inside the Cabin**

Tali stared at the ring with wide eyes. What was she supposed to say. Yes? She was already married to a great guy and perfectly happy with him. But what would Zeev do if she said no? She had no way of telling what he would do if he got angry over this. Then, just as Tali was beginning to think she'd run out of options, she saw a flash of something outside. Through the window she could see something glinting in the cabin's lighting. It looked like a badge . . . Tali turned her head and pretended to wipe her eyes so that Zeev wouldn't notice what she was looking at. There, behind a tree on the edge of the clearing, was a man kneeling in the bushes. He was trying to get her attention, and was pointing to the front door. She quickly scanned the area and noticed that there were no guards surrounding the cabin. They'd taken them all down!

With newfound confidence, Tali turned back to Zeev. She took a deep breath, looked him in the eye and said, "No, Zeev. I will never marry you."

Zeev's bright smile turned into a deep frown, and his brow furrowed into anger. "What do you mean, no?"

Normally Tali would be terrified by now, but this time she knew help was nearby. She stood up and narrowed her eyes. "For ten years I've been chased by you, Zeev. For ten years I've hid from you, and run from you, and even tried to ignore you. But that's not enough for you, is it? No, you'll never stop unless I tell you to. And so that's what I'm doing. You asked me if I want to live with you for the rest of my life, and the answer is NO. You don't deserve me. You never did, and you never will!"

Zeev stood up, his face red hot and the veins in his temple looking like they would burst. He raised his hand to punch Tali, but she swung her arm first. The hit went right to his face, breaking his nose and sending blood down over his mouth and shirt. He staggered backwards and tried to keep his balance, gripping the couch with one hand and raising the other to make another punch. Again Tali beat him to it. She pushed his hand away and kicked him in the stomach. Blood began pouring from his mouth, and Zeev spit it onto the floor as he pushed himself off of the couch and ran towards Tali. She easily dodged him by stepping to the side, and before Zeev could stop himself, he flew into the window and onto the ground outside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Zeev burst out of the window and fell to the ground, all the agents began moving in. They came out of their hiding places, running out of bushes and jumping down from tree branches. The back-up team made a large circle around Zeev, who was still recovering from throwing himself out of the window.

Gibbs, Tony and Ziva were the last to come into the clearing. They turned to the front door as Tali opened it and ran out. She stopped to look at Zeev, who was now standing up and being handcuffed. Then she spotted Gibbs and recognized him as the man who she'd seen outside the window. She smiled at him and nodded her thanks. He gave one of his rare smiles and nodded back. Tali looked at the other two agents and saw a familiar face.

"Zi-Zi?"

Ziva was staring at Tali in disbelief. Her little sister was really standing there in front of her. Both women beamed and ran towards each other, embracing in a loving hug. After a minute they broke apart, tears streaming down both of their faces. Tali spoke first.

"Oh, Ziva! I'm sorry I left you without saying goodbye or anything! I was just so afraid and I didn't know what to do. But now I know that it was wrong to leave. I'm not afraid of Zeev anymore. Can you forgive me?"

Ziva looked at Tali and smiled. "There's nothing to forgive you for. You were just trying to keep yourself safe, like I taught you to." Tali smiled, and they both hugged again. The other agents were now gradually making their way back towards the cars out on the street. Ziva took Tali's hand. "C'mon. We've got a lot to catch up on." Tali smiled, and together they followed Gibbs and Tony into the forest and away from the log cabin.

**A/N: Did you like it? Ziva and Tali finally reunited! There's still one more chapter to go, though. It'll be on Ziva and Tali saying goodbye to Eli and NCIS interrogating Zeev and all that. So yeah! Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9 - The Beginning of the

**A/N: So this is it, guys! The final chapter of Figuring It Out! This was a really hard chapter to write. I wasn't sure how to end the story, but I eventually came up with this. Hope you like it. :) **

**And now the thank you's! - Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. Your ideas have helped me a bunch, especially with the interrogation in this chapter. I really appreciate the help! And special thanks to TheRoseShadow21, numb3rs mystery, EowynGoldberry, and mmkbrook for giving multiple reviews that kept me motivated to continue writing. You guys are super-awesome! But don't get me wrong, I thank EVERYONE for their support! **

**Enjoy the last chapter! **

**Chapter 9: The Beginning of the Rest of My Life**

**NCIS HQ**

Ziva and Tali stood in the observation room, watching as Zeev sat in his chair and tapped the table with his fingertips. They were both tired from the previous night, as they'd stayed up after the rescue to talk.

Tali had told Ziva about traveling through Europe and South America and getting married, as well as becoming an American citizen and teaching opera singing, which Ziva smiled at. In return Ziva told Tali about how she was also working to become an American citizen as well as an NCIS special agent. She added how her team had grown on her, and that they were now family to her.

Then Tali had asked about Ari. Ziva had ended up telling Tali about how he'd killed Kate and then tried to kill the rest of Gibbs' team. How he'd been a great brother before, but had turned into a monster under their father's authority. She was going to leave out the part about her killing Ari herself, but thought that Tali deserved to know. When Tali heard the full story, she was quiet for a long time, thinking. Just as Ziva had thought she'd made the wrong decision, Tali hugged her and told her that she understood everything, and that she would've done the same thing if it meant protecting innocent people. Ziva could tell she meant it.

Now they were at NCIS Headquarters, standing side by side while they waited for Zeev to answer the questions still remaining.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gibbs leaned against the wall outside the interrogation room, his arms folded over his chest and Zeev's file in his hand. He'd just gotten off the phone with Director David saying that Zeev's accomplices had arrived in Israel and that they would be punished for their crimes. Eli had also told Gibbs to send Ziva and Tali over there as soon as possible, as his condition was worsening. Gibbs didn't like Eli, but he did feel the guy deserved to see his daughters one last time before he died. So Gibbs had said he'd fly them out as soon as he was done with Zeev.

Gibbs turned to face the door and stopped for a moment, his hand on the knob. He had no idea how to interrogate this guy without tearing his head off for everything he'd done. He knew that Zeev was going to get what he deserved once he got back to Israel, but that didn't help his anger and frustration towards the man. They needed answers, though, so he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Zeev sat with his eyes on the mirror in front of him, looking at it as if he could actually see Ziva and Tali standing behind it. Gibbs sat down in the chair opposite Zeev and put his folder on the table.

"So, Zeev, you gonna start talking, or do I have to force it out of you?"

Zeev continued to look straight ahead. Gibbs opened the folder to reveal countless police records for assault and battery, robbery, joyriding, and, most prominently, stalking. Zeev looked down at the papers and actually smirked.

"Impressed with my resumé, Agent Gibbs? I did all of those things to blow off steam while I searched for Tali, you know."

Gibbs closed the folder and looked up at Zeev.

"Let's go back to the bombing-"

Zeev interrupted him, which most would consider to be a fatal mistake. "Agent Gibbs, sir. You're going to have to be more specific. I've witnessed a lot of bombings."

Gibbs just glared at Zeev in stony silence.

Zeev actually looked shaken. "Okay. Okay. I know. The bombing at Tali's high school ten years ago." Zeev sighed and put his head in his hands. "Yes, it was caused by suicide bombers. No, I didn't have anything to do with it. And I know the man who ordered the attack is dead. It said on the news that he had been found responsible, and that Director David had killed him in self-defense when the guy tried to go after the rest of David's family."

Gibbs continued to stare at Zeev. Behind the glass, Tali took a shaky breath. Ziva put her arm around her sister and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

Zeev continued. "I wasn't involved in the bombing . . . but I did plant that girl's body in place of Tali's after I found out she'd escaped through that trap door." Tali gasped. Gibbs didn't seem surprised. "I was there when it happened, been there to try and get Tali back. I saw her through the classroom window when the bomb went off. Ziva was there, too. I stayed outside when everyone else was running in. I couldn't go in. The bodies still hadn't been moved when I finally decided to take a look. Tali wasn't there. All that I saw was a trap door where she'd been. I just knew that Tali had made it out. I ran to the back of the school to clear my head, and that's when I saw a girl lying out on the street. She'd been killed by the blast as well; you couldn't even tell who she was, her body was so badly damaged. She matched Tali's profile, so I figured that if people saw her they'd assume it was her. I knew it wasn't, though, I could feel it. So I snuck her into the classroom after everyone had left and placed her body next to the trap door. I was free to track Tali down without anyone else getting in my way."

Zeev looked down, defeated. Gibbs felt like strangling Zeev right there, but instead got up and walked out of the room. Ziva and Tali left the observation room at the same time and met Gibbs in the hallway. Ziva looked at Gibbs with a small smile on her face. As he passed them, he gave Ziva a half-smile back and patted her on the shoulder. Then he turned around the corner and disappeared. Ziva looked at Tali, who beamed back at her. The case had finally been solved.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Tel Aviv – Mossad HQ**

Eli David was laying on his couch staring at a picture in his hands. He looked at the two children in the photo; it was one of Ziva and Tali as little kids, laughing and smiling up at him. He wished he could go back to those days when his children looked at him like he was a hero, which he knew was far from true.

The door to his office opened, and in walked Ziva. Behind her was Tali. They both smiled at him as they went over to the couch. Tali sat on the edge while Ziva knelt down next to it. Eli looked at both of his girls, and tears began to form in his eyes.

"My, Tali. You are safe." He put a hand on her cheek, which Tali covered with her own hand. Then he turned to Ziva. "And you, Ziva. You found her for me . . . thank you." Ziva was shocked by this comment from her father.

"Um, you're welcome, Abba." She smiled at him, not ignoring the fact that his eyes were drooping and his face was beginning to pale. "Why aren't you at home resting?"

Eli chuckled. "You should know better than anyone that my work is my home. That's who I am. When I got sick, I continued to work and didn't stop to recover. Now it is too late." Ziva nodded, tears beginning to fall. The three of them sat there for a while, just enjoying being together again.

Then Eli began to fade. He looked up at Ziva with regret. "I was never there for you or your sister, but you were brave and took care of things for me. You're the tip of the spear, Ziva. Don't forget that." He took both of their hands and held them as tight as he could. "Shalom, my daughters." Eli then closed his eyes, and after a few minutes Ziva and Tali could no longer hear him breathing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**NCIS HQ**

The team sat around the bullpen talking and laughing, empty pizza boxes piled onto one of the extra desks in the corner. They were all happy that the case had been solved, and Ziva finally had her sister back. It'd already been two days since Zeev had given his confession, but all that time had been used to finish paperwork and officially close the case. Now it was time for celebrating. There was just one person missing.

Ziva stood in front of the elevator doors downstairs, waiting to get in and head up to the office where her adopted family was. She and Tali had gotten back only a few hours ago, and she was tired, but more than anything she wanted to spend time with her friends. So after she'd dropped Tali off at home with a very relieved looking Dr. Bradley waiting for her, and had gone to her apartment to unpack, Ziva called Tony up to see what he was doing. In the background she could hear Ducky telling one of his stories and everyone else laughing when he got to a funny part. When Tony told everyone that she was back home, they all demanded that she come to the office at once.

Ziva smiled as the elevator doors opened. On the way up she thought about how close she was to them. Then she thought about how it'd all started. Ari. Kate. Gibbs. She knew she had to tell them eventually. They deserved to know what really happened. She decided to talk about it with Gibbs tomorrow. For now everyone was happy and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

The elevator doors opened once again with a ding, and Ziva stepped out to see the people she loved smiling up at her. Abby ran over and gave her a hug, and Ziva laughed. Then Abby pulled her over to the rest of the group, and Ducky they all hugged her and welcomed her home. Then Ducky continued with his story. Ziva turned to Gibbs, who looked at her for one second and knew that they were going to be having a conversation the next. He nodded and gave a half-smile. Ziva couldn't help but smile too. She looked around the room at her new family, and, for the first time in a long time, Ziva felt genuinely happy.

THE END

**A/N: Sooooo?! Did you like it? Please tell! Thank you guys one more time for following this story and giving me so many lovely reviews! I appreciate it!**


End file.
